Illuminated sign



April M, 193%, E. H. PENDLETON 2,937,041

ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed Aug. 29, 1934 P 'lE l I N VEN TOR. [0 1 1077 h.8/70V6/0/7 A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1936 ILLUMINATED SIGN Edwin H.Pendleton, Venice, Calif., assignor to Econolite Corporation, LosAngeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application August 29,1934, Serial No. 741,917

3 Claims.

Myinvention relates to display devices and is particularly concernedwith signs which are illuminated by gaseous discharge tubes such as neontubes.

customarily, such signs are manufactured in a relatively expensivemanner, by bending discharge tubes into suitable shapes to form lettersand other requisite insignia. The complication is considerable'when theinsignia are foreign language characters, such as Chinese, or Japaneseor Arabic. Somewhat cheaper constructions have been utilized, in which agaseous discharge tube in linear form is visible through a stencil orsimilar sign-forming element in order to provide the desired sign. Thischeaper form, however, is not entirely satisfactory, inasmuch as therectilinear source of illumination is glaringly visible and is itself soapparent as to subordinate the remainder of the sign.

An object of my invention is to provide a satisfactory illuminated signutilizing a gaseous discharge tube in generally linear form, which atthe same time is cheap to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a sign in which thesource of illumination is not glaringly visible.

A further object of my invention is to provide a manner of displayingextremely intricate insignia in an economical and satisfactory fashion.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a generally uniformfield of illumination for an illuminated sign. I

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of theinvention illustrated in the drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a frontelevation of an illuminated sign constructed in accordance with myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 22of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the gaseous discharge tube shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form ofgaseous discharge tube arrangement.

In its preferred form, the illuminated sign of my invention includes atransparent indicia panel varying the characters or indicia of the sign,adjacent to which there is arranged a generally rectilinear gaseousdischarge tube. The tube is 50 often associated with a reflector which,together with the panel, forms an enclosure, and the tube is providedwith a screen or shield or coating between the tube and the panel, whichshield is of such a character as to reduce the amount of lighttransmitted directly by the tube, so that the resulting transmittedlight is of approximately the same color and intensity as the lighttransmitted indirectly from the reflector onto the panel, the net resultbeing to afford a generally uniform field of illumination for the signand to preclude unusual brightness or intensity of the source of light.

While the illuminated sign of my invention can of course take variousforms in accordance with different environmental conditions, I havechosen to illustrate it herein in the form which includes a generallytransparent panel 6 which in; the present instance is of ordinary glassand carries suitable indicia l for affording the desired sign display.These indicia are distinguished from the remainder of the glass in anydesired fashion; in the present instance it is arranged that the indiciaI are freely light transmitting, while the background 8 is substantiallyopaque.

Acting in conjunction with the panel 6 is a casing 9 preferably of sheetmetal or comparable material, which is of substantially thecross-sectional contour shown in Fig. 2 and which is peripherallyflanged, as at l I, tobe suitably engaged with the panel 6 by acircumscribing channel l2 which secures the parts detachably together.In this fashion there is formed an enclosure in which the casing 9 is onits interior surface effective as a reflector. I do not contemplate thatthe interior surface l3 of the material 9 ordinarily will be highlypolished, but I do contemplate that it will be light in color, orbright, so that it serves as a reasonably good light reflector.

Situated within the enclosure formed by the panel and the casing, andpreferably mounted on the casing itself through suitable supports l4 andI6, is a gaseous discharge tube I! which in its major portion isgenerally rectilinear in form and which is located centrally of theenclosure but in close juxtaposition to the panel 6. The discharge tubeis preferably the so-called neon tube of commerce, or some recognizedequivalent thereof.

If the sign as so far described were illuminated, an observer would beimpressed with a very vivid line of light coming directly from the tubeI1 through the letters 1, and would perceive a comparatively poor anddull illumination for the remaining part of those letters and theremaining part of the sign. This difliculty is obviated in accordancewith my invention by providing the forward side of the tube IT, or theside of the tube next to the panel 6, with a shield IS. The shieldpreferably takes the form of a coating of paint or comparable materialapplied directly to the tube on substantially the forward half thereof,

which paint is applied in a thickness and of a color so that when thetube I1 is illuminated the paint is effective as a shield to preventdirect transmission of a major portion of the light from the tube to theindicia I, and. at the same time presents from the exterior of the signto an observer substantially the same color and intensity as thebackground or reflector l3. In this fashion there is provided agenerally uniform shield, and the source of light is suflicientlysubdued that it is not obtrusive. the shield I9 can be completelyopaque, and thus cast somewhat of a shadow upon the interior of thelesssufliciently translucent to permit some light to filter therethroughdirectly onto the indicia I.

In certain instances, the shield need not be directlycoated upon thetube, but, as illustrated in Fig. 4, there can be provided a shield 2|which is a coating of paint or comparable material on the panel 6. Inthis instance the coating extends substantially in registry with theprojected outline of the tube l1, so that, to most intents and purposesthe constructions of Figs. 3 and 4 are equivalent, they being utilizedinterchangeably unless conditions particularly indicate one or theother.

While in many instances I claim:

1. An illuminated sign comprising a reflector, a gaseous discharge tubeadjacent said reflector, an indicia panel having transparent indiciaformed thereon through which said tube and said reflector are visible,said tube and said reflector presenting to an observer a differentappearance when viewed through said panel, and means in the nature of alight permeable film matching said reflector in luminosity andsubstantially in registry with saidtube, interposed between said tubeand the observer.

2. An illuminated sign comprising a reflector, a linear gaseousdischarge tube adjacent said reflector, a substantially opaque indiciapanel having transparent indicia formed thereon through which said tubeis visible, and means in the nature of a light permeablefilm matchingsaid reflector in luminosity and substantially in registry with andconforming to the contour of said tube interposed between said tube andsaid indicia panel. 3. An illuminated sign comprising a reflector, agaseous discharge tube adjacent said reflector, a panel having asubstantially opaque portion and a transparent indicia portion throughwhich said tube is visible, and means in the nature of a light permeablefilm matching said reflector in luminosity and substantially in registrywith said tube interposed between said tube and said panel.

EDWIN H. PENDLE'I'O'N.

